Windhoek
According to the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) Namibia should by today have its first foodbank up and running and the government should have appointed key personnel to operationalise the new Central Procurement agency, as well as have publicised the guidelines of the Procurement Act and identified ways to reduce the financial dependence of parastatals on State coffers.
Also by today, the government should have secured an energy supply deal of 300MW with South Africa, revived the Equipment Aid Scheme, as well as approved a new policy on the use of social media. This is according to the deadlines stipulated in the HHP launched earlier this year, which indicates a number of key milestones that should have been reached by the end of June.
Presidential press secretary Albertus Aochamub told New Era yesterday that the presidency will formally report on the progress made so far and the implementation rate of HPP by October, as provided for under the monitoring and evaluation plan.
Also by today, June 30, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila should have received the annual declaration of assets and income by public office bearers and civil servants, as outlined under Pillar One of the plan – effective governance. In terms of the plan guidelines on the new Procurement Act should also be made available by the Ministry of Finance by today.
The Ministry of Public Enterprises should by today also report back with proposals on how to better leverage the assets of State-owned enterprises, so as to ease the financial strain on the national budget. The Ministry of Mines and Energy is also expected to finalise the National Integrated Resource Plan and a modified single buyer model by today.
Under Pillar Two, which aims at creating 1 000 jobs within the first year of HPP, the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development has been tasked to review the Equipment Aid Scheme by today, while targeting 180 beneficiaries this year.
The Harambee Plan is President Hage Geingob’s socio-economic development blueprint for leading Namibians to the land of economic prosperity. The plan aims to practically answer the big economic and social questions facing the country and is seen as a potential means to lift destitute citizens out of abject poverty.
The plan has in some instances been likened to previous national plans. Some have called it “too ambitious”, while others have put their gears in rut and are ready to run with it. President Geingob himself has insisted that nothing in HPP is unachievable and has rallied officials at all levels of government to ensure the plan is understood and implemented to the letter.